Occupy Wall Street protestors shouldn't play into critics hands

By marching on the homes of the rich, Occupy Wall Street protesters are playing into the hands of conservative critics who insist the demonstrators are jealous, lazy Marxists who want to confiscate rich people’s money and redistribute it.

Leaders of Occupy Wall Street have tried to be clear:

They don’t want to strip the wealthy of their assets, they say. They simply want the rich taxed at a fair rate, so the nation will stop cutting the safety nets for the poor. They also want the corporate billions — which have tilted the playing field and cheapened the value of one person’s vote — removed from politics.

But by targeting wealthy individuals — like investment banker Jamie Dimon, billionaire political donor David Koch and Fox News magnate Rupert Murdoch, for example — as they did on Tuesday, protesters now are making it personal.

When demonstrators stood outside residences — no matter how lavish — they crossed a line. The perception changes dramatically: In a park or outside a business or institution, you’re a protester. Outside a home, you’re a mob. On Tuesday, they lost some credibility and public support.

Yes, these men are symbolic: They’re included in the top 10 on Forbes’ latest “richest Americans” list, and they are prime examples of how the super wealthy play the system.
But targeting their homes is a mistake.

Instead of invading people’s personal lives, protesters should keep their focus on the economic system — which allows men like these to accumulate great wealth and then lobby Washington to protect it.